Open Season: Local fisherman catch sportfishing awards

Sunday

Feb 9, 2014 at 12:01 AM

Winners of the 2013 Freshwater Sportfishing Awards were announced by MassWildlife this week, and Eddie Lemieux of Acushnet captured the Gold Pin for white catfish again this year with a 7-pound, 14-ounce fish caught at Mashpee-Wakeby Pond in Mashpee. In addition to 2013, Lemieux caught the biggest white catfish of the year in 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006 and 2005, according to MassWildlife's records. Another local angler, Wilton Gray III of Lakeville, caught the biggest brook trout of 2013 — a 3-pound, 7-ounce fish he caught at Peters Pond in Sandwich.

MARC FOLCO

Winners of the 2013 Freshwater Sportfishing Awards were announced by MassWildlife this week, and Eddie Lemieux of Acushnet captured the Gold Pin for white catfish again this year with a 7-pound, 14-ounce fish caught at Mashpee-Wakeby Pond in Mashpee. In addition to 2013, Lemieux caught the biggest white catfish of the year in 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006 and 2005, according to MassWildlife's records. Another local angler, Wilton Gray III of Lakeville, caught the biggest brook trout of 2013 — a 3-pound, 7-ounce fish he caught at Peters Pond in Sandwich.

Jake Souza of Berkley won the junior division for sunfish with 1-pound, 2-ounces, caught at Snake Pond, Sandwich. Souza was also named Junior Angler of the Year. Tauri Adamczyk of Taunton won the junior division for carp with 23 pounds, 2 ounces from Woods Pond, Lee and Charles Anderson of Middleboro caught a 1-pound, 10-ounce yellow perch from Parker Pond, Barstable to take the junior division in that category. Mark Mohan Jr. of Pembroke was named (adult) Angler of the Year.

The Angler of the Year Award is awarded in both adult and junior divisions, to the person who weighs in the largest number of species that meet minimum weight requirements for the previous calendar year. The award promotes awareness of underutilized fish species and recognizes an angler's ability to catch a wide variety of trophy species.

The awards ceremony, customarily held during the Eastern Fishing and Outdoor Exposition at Worcester's DCU Center, was moved to a new venue last year and again will be held at another location later this year, to be announced. Anglers of all ages who would like to participate in the 2014 program can visit the Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program web page at mass.gov/masswildlife to find out how to submit their trophy catch.

Winners of the Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Derby will be announced in next week's column, pending official release from MarineFisheries.

MassWildlife reported this week that the preliminary deer harvest total for 2013 was 11,413 animals (excluding the Quabbin hunt and any data not yet received). Although preliminary, this figure is up 4 percent from last year's total harvest. The archery season harvest of 4,474 was up 15 percent from last year, the shotgun season harvest of 4,625 was down seven percent from last year and the primitive season harvest of 2,314 is up 11 percent from last year.

Zone 11, which is mostly Southeastern Massachusetts, had the highest total again this year with 2,662 deer taken. Of that total, 1,154 were taken during archery season, 990 were taken during shotgun season and 518 were taken during muzzleloader season. The shotgun and muzzleloader totals were also the highest in the state, with the archery season harvest coming in second to Zone 10, which had 1,167 deer taken during that season.

MassWildlife reports that the preliminary harvest data for Zones 1-5 shows a decrease in female harvest and a corresponding increase in adult male harvest, indicating that deer densities in these zones are increasing toward management goals. Deer densities in Zones 6-9 appear to be within goals. Densities in Zones 10 and 11 are still above goal, but more towns are increasing access to lands for hunting, which is one of the most important parts of managing deer in a suburban setting. Deer densities on Martha's Vineyard (Zone 13) and Nantucket (Zone 14) remain significantly above goals, but preliminary results from this year's harvest show an increase in the female harvest that is critical to reducing deer densities.

Online reporting/game checking was available during deer season for the first time during the 2013 archery and primitive arms seasons (hunters must still report harvested deer at a check station during shotgun season to facilitate collection of biological data) and over 70 percent of the deer taken during those seasons were reported by hunters through the MassFishHunt system.

The MassWildlife Deer Project Leader analyzes harvest, biological, and hunter effort data, along with hunter success rates, female versus male harvest, and other factors to manage deer populations in each zone. An analysis of this information is now underway for the annual spring deer management review. A complete harvest summary will be released shortly after the review.

MassWildlife advises captive wildlife owners, pet shops, veterinarians and prospective exotic pet owners to be aware of recent changes to state wildlife regulations affecting the types of wild animals that may legally be kept as pets in Massachusetts. These regulations, passed by the Fisheries and Wildlife Board in 2013, became official on January 3, 2014.

The changes allow new species of wildlife to be kept as pets, treated by veterinarians, or sold in licensed pet shops. Of particular interest to the pet owning public is the sugar glider, a small mammal that is now allowed as a pet. Most of the wildlife newly legal to keep as pets are reptiles, including: green tree python, emerald tree boa, all of the jungle runners, true chameleons, frilled lizards, spiny-tailed lizards, and one small species of monitor — the spiny-tailed or ridge-tailed Monitor. This monitor is a small reptile that can easily be distinguished from juveniles of all the larger species, none of which may be kept as pets. No permits are required by the MassWildlife for possession any of the above-mentioned animals.

One turtle, the red-eared slider, will no longer be legal to keep as a pet in Massachusetts. This turtle has been prohibited because unwanted pets were released so often that they have now become established as a breeding non-native turtle in several areas of the state. Any existing pet slider (prior to Jan. 3) will be grandfathered and may continue to be kept by its owner for the rest of its life, but the owner should keep a date-stamped clear, in-focus photo of its belly (plastron) as documentation. No permit is necessary to keep a "grandfathered" turtle. For more information about keeping exotic or captive wildlife, visit mass.gov/dfw/wildlife-as-pets.

MarineFisheries will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Plymouth Harbor Radisson Hotel in Plymouth to receive comments on several commercial fisheries proposals and one recreational fishery proposal that is aimed at improving recreational fishing compliance.

Another measure would allow the at-sea filleting of all recreationally caught species as long as the skin remains affixed to all fillets for the purpose of species identification. For the purpose of compliance with bag limits, the number of fillets would not exceed two times the species specific bag limit, or in the case of flounder species that have been butterfly filleted — four times the species specific bag limit. Filleting will remain prohibited for private recreational anglers catching striped bass. Also, to determine compliance with bag limits or fillet limits, in instances where recreational anglers have commingled catch, the commingled catch will be divided by the number of active anglers.

Comments also will be received on striped bass management proposals that include: reducing the number of open commercial fishing days; reducing the commercial striped bass daily trip limits; opening the commercial fishery earlier than the current July 12; prohibiting for-hire permit holders from engaging in commercial striped bass fishing with clients aboard; prohibiting dealers from purchasing more than one daily trip limit from a commercial fisherman during a calendar day; and establishing a tagging program for dealers.

Olin Corporation, through its Winchester Division, announced a recall of two lots of M22 22 Long Rifle 40 grain black copper-plated round nose ammunition. Winchester has determined that Lot Numbers GD42L and GD52L with Symbol Number S22LRT may contain double powder charges which may subject the shooter or bystanders to a risk of serious injury and/or death, or cause firearm damage. The lot number is imprinted on the flap of the 500-round carton.

If you have ammo that matches the symbol and lot numbers, discontinue use and contact Winchester at 866-423-5224 for free UPS pickup of the ammo. Other symbol numbers or lot numbers of the M22 ammo are not subject to this recall.

Marc Folco is the outdoor writer for The Standard-Times. Contact him at openseason1988@aol.com or through OpenSeasonSpecialties.com

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